Planning evaluability assessments: A synthesis of the literature with recommendations. DFID Working Paper 40.

Abstract

The purpose of this synthesis paper is to produce a short practically
oriented report that summarises the literature on Evaluability
Assessments, and highlights the main issues for consideration in
commissioning an Evaluability Assessment. The paper was commissioned by
DFID's Evaluation Department but intended for use both within and
beyond DFID.

The synthesis process began with an online literature search, carried
out in November 2012. The search generated a bibliography of 133
documents including journal articles, books, reports and web pages,
published from 1979 onwards. Approximately half (44%) of the documents
were produced by international development agencies. The main focus of
the synthesis is on the experience of international agencies and on
recommendations relevant to their field of work.

Amongst those agencies, the following OECD DAC definition of
evaluability is widely accepted and has been applied within this report:
\"The extent to which an activity or project can be evaluated in a
reliable and credible fashion\".

Eighteen recommendations about the use of Evaluability Assessments are
presented here, based on the synthesis of the literature in the main
body of the report. The report is supported by annexes, which include an
outline structure for Terms of Reference for an Evaluability Assessment.